


The Concerns of Radio-Silence

by mixthealphabet



Series: And It Grows [17]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I should probably just combine them because this has become a multichap fic, Part of a series for a reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 13:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1512848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mixthealphabet/pseuds/mixthealphabet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been two weeks since they last heard from Lucy Heartfilia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Concerns of Radio-Silence

_I need to be bold, need to jump in the cold water, need to grow older with a girl like you. I finally see you are naturally the one to make it so easy when you show me the truth. Yeah, I'd rather be with you. Say you want the same thing too, say you feel the way I do._

 

It was a bright spring afternoon, of blooming daisies and a light wind, that found Natsu Dragneel and his team spread across a city exactly two trains away from Magnolia. The city itself wasn’t very important, not just because its population constituted solely of politicians and other criminals of the kind, but because it was ten minutes short of going out in a bang.

It _was_ mentioned that Natsu Dragneel was there, right?

The team lacked a member, common sense, boundaries, and was, unsurprisingly, involved in a rather one-sided fight against some low-level drug traffickers.

The resident dragon slayer growled angrily and wiped his cheek, trying to rid himself of whatever potion had been thrown at him. Needless to say, his patience was being tested.

“I’m going to fry you for that!” he stated, before swinging his fist into the face of one of the criminals, who tumbled down gracelessly.

A vial full of herbs crashed against Natsu’s face, making the boy stumble back, spitting out leaves and trying to regain his footing.

He felt off, like he had for most of the last two weeks, and the irritating goofiness of the group they’d been paid to take out didn’t help in the least. What kind of drug cartel called itself _The Herbalists_? Ugh.

With a grimace, the pink-haired boy punched the closest bandit, knocking him into the river, only to be surprised when another vial hit his back. The liquid seeped through Natsu’s coat and, for a moment, it burned his skin, bringing forth another wave of dizziness and nausea.

It’d been quite some time since he had felt such a strong hatred towards a mission.

“Are you trying to piss me off?” His shout was muffled by a terrified scream, coming from the center of the city, followed by the sound of a construction crumbling to the ground.

Erza was done with their bunker. He should probably finish things off, as well.

And where the hell was Happy? He’d flown off to find Wendy, and Natsu hadn’t heard anything from him since. Fear crept up the back of his mind, but the tingling at his actual back demanded a little more of his attention.

Natsu ignited his hands and yanked one of the remaining criminals by his collar, before throwing him onto the others. The men fell over like bowling pins, wavering and reaching for support as curses fell from their lips.

The Fairy Tail mage would have laughed, but the prickling on his back had escalated into a boiling sensation, forcing him to bend over in pain.  Tendrils of strange energy were moving under his skin, hampering his breathing. For the first time on such a simple mission, he felt tired.

But the criminals were slowly rising, and Natsu needed to do something, quickly, or they would make their escape.

And, Mavis, Erza would kill him for that.

Gathering what strength he had left, the dragon slayer stood up straight and inhaled deeply.

“Fire Dragon’s…” Natsu stilled himself, positioning his hands in front of his lips and relishing the telltale burning in his chest. “Roar!”

Flames danced across his vision: A circle of fire surrounded the criminals, rising higher and higher into the bright sky. The warmth was comforting, wrapping itself around him as the dragon slayer fell to his knees.

For a moment, the colors blurred, mixing into new ones. Blue and red and yellows turned into purple and orange, and then everything went black.

* * *

There was movement in the corner of his eye, but Natsu felt too lethargic to turn his head. His lids felt heavy, closing on their own accord. It was a strange sensation, because he was usually full of energy, even when first waking up.

A giggle brought his attention back to his situation, and Natsu moved slightly, looking for its source.

Golden in the sunlight, clad in blue and with the brightest of smiles, the hazy form of Lucy Heartfilia appeared in his line of sight. She looked different for some reason, like a glowing fairy with glittery skin. A wave of despair washed over him.

“Lucy…?”

She was leaning over him, now, nuzzling his jaw and saying… saying something.

He tried to concentrate on what she was saying, but her touch was distracting, and he still felt unbelievably tired.

“You’re back…” Natsu mumbled when the girl pressed her lips to his cheek. He couldn’t remember if she had already been home when he fell asleep. “Luce…”

She giggled again, but it sounded distant, as if they were being separated by some kind of invisible wall.

They weren’t, however. He could feel her, or he thought he could feel her… Everything was strangely hazy, like how he’d felt when those potions had hit him back in Detris. That had been so long ago, hadn’t it? Detris and The Herbalists.

Lucy was talking again. Natsu had missed her while she was away. He didn’t like when she left on her own, it always made him worry and wonder if she would actually come back.

He wanted to be with her forever.

“You’re back,” the boy repeated, more firmly this time. He reached for her, but Lucy pulled back, shaking her head. He knew it was her, but her face didn’t seem quite right. He couldn’t concentrate on her expressions, just on the way she made him feel. “Luce?”

Lucy made him feel like he was in love.

Natsu smiled against her lips, finding joy in this realization. He couldn’t wait to tell her that he was in love with her. If only she would come back from that damn trip.

“I’m not back, Natsu,” she whispered. “Open your eyes. I need your help.”

The dragon slayer grimaced, finally understanding what she had been saying. Lucy blinked at him, suddenly across the room. She was wearing her traveling clothes, the ones she’d been in when they’d kissed at the train station.

“I’m dreaming,” he stated, already feeling consciousness pull him away.

The celestial mage smiled as if she hadn’t heard him. “Wake up, Natsu.” She crossed her arms, impatient. “Wake up and help me.”

* * *

 

The pink-haired boy opened his eyes slowly, still half-asleep. The brightness of the room blinded him for a moment, creating splotches of blankness in his sight, and he had to blink away the spots.

“What the hell!” he groaned, bringing his hand up in order to block out the light.

Somewhere on his right, there was a raspy chuckle, quickly interrupted by a soft thump. Natsu turned his head slightly, watching as Erza dusted off her hands and stepped over Gray’s crumpled form, towards him.

“Good, you are awake.” She fixed him with stern eyes, before letting her expression soften into a tender smile. “We were worried. Those potions could have been harmful for someone with less resistance.”

Natsu scrunched up his brows, unsure of what had happened. He remembered a fight, finishing a mission of some sort, but his mind was still filled with a strange kind of satisfaction, like a cloud of white contentment.

“Lucy… Where’s Lucy?” he muttered, stretching his arms over his head. “She was…” He looked around him. “No. I think I was dreaming.”

Erza’s lips seemed to twist, as if she was holding back a smile or a laugh. She started to move forward, but paused, and disguised the movement by approaching the jar of water that sat by his bed.

Gray, however, wasn’t as kind.

The ice-maker mage rolled his eyes, taking a seat by the window. He fiddled with the collar of his shirt, but didn’t take it off, and Natsu was reminded of the cigarettes that Gray used to carry around, of the way he would roll them around his fingers, automatic in his vices, but hesitating when actually considering something.

“You were calling for her,” he taunted, “Lucy, I mean. Was that a wet dream or a mushy one? Because I don’t think I want to know about it if it’s a mushy one.”

Natsu glared at his friend, pushing himself up by his elbows and trying to ignore the pain in his back.

“You asking for a punch, ice freak?”

Erza, who had been staring out the window, turned to the two boys, lifting an eyebrow.

“You are not fighting, surely. Or else I would be obligated to put a stop to it.” She took a sip from her glass, watching as they tripped over each other in their attempt to look friendly.

“Course not, ma’am!” Gray quipped out, an arm throw over Natsu’s shoulder while the other boy nodded.

But Erza wasn’t listening anymore. She had lowered her gaze to her hands, and, for a second, she stood like that, slowly swirling the water inside her cup. The dark-haired mage took this as his cue to distance himself from Natsu, nearing her side with an expression of doubt.

“What is it, Erza?”

She didn’t look up at him, but her mouth set into a fine line.

“Lucy. What else? I haven’t heard from her in two weeks. I dislike the silence. The variables are too varied and too unknown. It makes me uneasy,” she admitted.

Her expression was contorted with sorrow, and the gravity in her tone bothered Natsu. The redhead seemed to feel the weight of his concern, because she met his gaze with steely eyes.

“You must understand how I feel.” There was understanding in her voice, but also an accusation. “You are closer to her than any of us.”

The boy turned to the side, escaping from his friends’ inquisitive stares. His cheeks burned with the implication in her words, but it was the memory of the last time he’d seen Lucy that truly troubled him. He could still feel the faint sensation of her lips against his and it was just enough to drive him crazy.

He missed her so much.

“You said something about a potion.” The boy continued to face the door. “Those idiots were throwing them at me. It freaking stung, too. I hadn’t felt anything like it before.”

Erza sighed, sharing a grave look with Gray. They had noticed the sudden change of topic, but knew better than to question it. While Natsu was usually good-humored and open about his feelings, he was also very good at putting up barriers. If he didn’t feel comfortable talking about something, there was no way to change his mind.

At least not for them.

The ice-make mage popped one of the buttons of his shirt open, tracing its edges with a distracted touch.

He knew Natsu had talked to Lucy about his fears, about the times with Igneel and all the pain he’d surely felt once the dragon left. It was the sort of thing that hadn’t needed to be said between the two boys. They’d found each other in Fairy Tail for a reason, and those were rarely any good. Still, the celestial mage – with her proper manners and her cheerfulness – had broken through his friend’s walls.

And Natsu, the idiot, still didn’t know he was in love. How dense could someone get?

“Yeah, that group we were fighting,” Gray shrugged his shirt off, “they were using energy-draining potions. A pain in the ass, if you ask me.”

Erza pushed the shirt back into his hands with a look of displeased acceptance, and moved to stand behind Natsu. She reached for his shoulder, but stopped herself once again.

“I warned you against engaging the criminals. Yet, here we are.” She opened her arms, gesturing to the walls. “The potion fed off your magical energy. It would have killed an ordinary mage…”

The dragon slayer ignored the glare coming from the redhead and simply looked around one more time.

“Where’s Happy?” he asked, frowning. “Isn’t he back yet?”

Gray shook his head, fumbling to put his shirt back on.

“We brought you back to Magnolia, but Happy decided to stay with Wendy and Carla. They have to wait for the trial or we won’t get the reward.” He gave Natsu an irritated look. “Fucking pointless, but that politician who called us won’t give us a dime earlier. We couldn’t say much after you destroyed their public park with that damn roar.”

Erza shook her head at his choice of words, but said nothing to reproach him. She, as well, was deeply bothered by their hirer’s conditions. Especially since one of her friends had gotten hurt while trying to accomplish the mission.

They had needed to leave in a hurry, or she would have had a little talk with the man.

She wished the team hadn’t been divided; with Lucy’s absence, the last thing she wanted was for their members to be further separated. Worry stuck to the tip of her tongue, threatening to make itself known.

“Mirajane was just here. She told me Lisanna would come to check on you as soon as things calmed down at the tables,” Erza said instead.

Gray turned away from them, focusing his eyes on the horizon that appeared through the open window.

He couldn’t take his mind off of Natsu’s dream; the way he’d called for Lucy had sounded pained, and not in a fun way. His guts told him something was wrong, and the boy couldn’t help but feel disturbed by all the little bad omens that seemed to pile up.

Reaching into his coat’s pocket, he pulled out the small crystal, the replica from the one he’d given Lucy. It was smooth and cold to the touch, but looked completely intact in the warm light of the infirmary.

Gray wondered how long it would be until the ice shattered.

* * *

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Lisanna crossed her arms, lifting an eyebrow with skepticism. She stood in front of Natsu in her white flowing dress, but didn’t say anything, as if daring the boy to provoke her wrath.

He did.

“I just don’t see why it’s so important to you.” He pouted. “Cana checked the cards, Gray has the freaky ice-thing, and I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Dreams may be a window to the subconscious of common people, but they certainly have a deeper meaning to magic users.” The girl sat down, leaning towards him in the bench. “You don’t think a dream about Lucy might mean something, especially when we haven’t heard from her in so long?”

The dragon slayer looked down at where her hands gripped dark wood, scowling.

“Don’t you think I’m worried?” Natsu whispered after a moment, trying to keep his irritation at bay. “I wanted to go after her the second I saw that train start moving.” He clenched his fists. “But I promised her that I wouldn’t go, that I would trust her in handling this.”

Lisanna straightened herself. She knew that Natsu was impulsive and that he rarely thought about how his actions could affect others’ opinions of him. That he was so clearly worried over Lucy’s desires just showed how much he cared.

In midst of her alarm towards Lucy’s possible disappearance, she felt a strange surge of pride.

Natsu had grown so much.

“I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, moving her hands back to her lap. “I guess we are all a bit on edge. Cana’s predictions are seldom incorrect.”

This was the wrong thing to say, though, because Natsu’s expression became somber.

“I wish that was my only problem… I can’t even think about _that_ , right now.” He hesitated, like he’d just realized what he was saying, and this awakened the girl’s curiosity.

“What do you mean?”

“She kissed me,” he confessed, eyes darting around for any unknown listeners. “Before boarding the train.”

The younger Strauss darted her eyes towards the counter, checking to make sure her sister wasn’t paying them any attention.

“That’s…” She bit her lip, trying to stop herself from grinning. “That’s great, Natsu.”

“And I can’t stop thinking about it.” A light blush took Natsu’s cheeks, but he continued to talk. “Why did Luce do that? What does that mean? Why do I have all these questions?” He groaned. “This should be easier.”

Silence fell around them. The dragon slayer kicked the ground, obviously frustrated with where he’d led the conversation.

“As if.” Lisanna responded, laughter bubbling up her chest. “These things are never easy. I have no idea where you got that from.” She closed her eyes and leaned back, taking a deep breath. “Kissing someone is an invasion of privacy. It demands mutual consent and an intention. That intention may be pleasure or a point that needs to be proven or affection. It may be a mix of all of them.” She bumped their shoulders together. “And to Lucy… It means something.”

Natsu grimaced.

“I don’t think that helps me at all.”

This time, Lisanna couldn’t help herself. Leaning further back, she burst into laughter. Her shoulders shook and her hair fell around her face, and Natsu grinned, before joining her.

“You’re impossible.” She wiped her eyes, still giggling. “I give you a lecture on love and this is your reaction.”

 _You’re incorrigible_ , that’s what Lucy would say. She would click her tongue and smile – softly, in that way he never completely comprehended –, and everything would be alright, despite how stupid or how dense or how stubborn he was being.

Natsu liked Lisanna and he liked spending time with her, but she, like the rest of the guild, was like spending a day in an amusement park.

And he was ready to go home.

“I just don’t wanna talk about the dream,” he grumbled under his breath. “It’s… It’s kinda personal.”

Lisanna exhaled loudly; her expression had grown serious, almost pitying, but there was still lightness in the twist of her lips.

“That’s perfectly fine, Natsu.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I understand if you don’t want to think about it right now. We’re all a bit apprehensive.”

Lucy had missed another call.

She was supposed to check in with them every seven days, just to make sure everything was going accordingly to plan, and they had established certain times of the day in which someone would watch the lacrima. Erza and Levy had insisted on it, after finding out about Cana’s cards. However, it had been two weeks and no one had heard from the celestial mage.

It was probable that she had forgotten or that she was simply too busy; the crystal was still intact, after all.

Nevertheless, they worried.

Natsu shifted in his seat, uncomfortable.

“So why can’t _I_ stop thinking about it?” He groaned, covering his face with his hand.

Lisanna looked away from him and towards the guild’s doors, as if waiting for Lucy to go through them. Her expression carried a pensive look, and it took her a moment to reply.

“I guess… I guess it meant something to you too.”

* * *

“How can you say that?” Levy cried out, slamming the table with her fists. “Not sure? You’ve been looking into it for the entire week!”

Gajeel grabbed her hands gently, stopping her from spilling Cana’s barrel, but it wasn’t enough to appease the drunk, because the woman stood up, shaking the cards in Levy’s face.

“It’s not an exact science, ok?” Cana yelled. “I can see that something is going to happen and that we’re not going to like it, but I don’t know if it’s evil or just sad!” She threw her cards onto the table. “Maybe Lucy will find the love of her life and never come back, maybe she’ll lose the house to the other buyer,” she sighed. “Maybe she will get into serious trouble.”

Natsu watched them from his spot on the table, rolling a piece of fish around his plate.

He didn’t enjoy when the girls fought. The guys in the guild liked to create conflict, but they usually weren’t actually mad at each other when doing so. When Levy got involved, though, he knew things were making a bad turn.

“I ask you not to do this.”

Erza had appeared from behind him, a cup of tea in her hands. She looked less sad than earlier, but that might have been because of the irritation that flashed through her eyes.

“You are frustrated, I can relate to that,” she continued, “but that is not a sensible explanation for this sort of behavior. If Lucy comes back to find us fighting, how do you think she would feel?”

Levy lowered her eyes to the ground and drew closer to Gajeel, letting him put his arms around her.

“I’m sorry, Cana. Erza is right.”

Cana heaved a loud sigh, gripping her mug until her knuckles turned white.

“Yeah, yeah…” She waved a hand in the air. “I said things too. Don’t sweat it. It’s not like I wasn’t the one making everyone worry in the first place.”

“That’s about right.” Gajeel snickered humorlessly, eyeing the beer with distaste, before being struck on the arm by Levy.

“That’s not fair,” the blue-haired girl protested. “I prefer knowing that something might happen. Otherwise, how would we be prepared?” There were a few nods coming from others around the table. “We worry because Lucy is important to us.”

Natsu blinked, strangely surprised by this. They were nakama, he knew, they had gone through things together that not all people could understand, and the symbol of Fairy Tail was engraved in their skins as a representation of the ideals they shared, of their family.

But this was different. This wasn’t because Lucy was nakama. It was because she was Lucy.

“You love her,” he exclaimed, and his stunned tone seemed to confuse some of those around him.

“Of course, Natsu.” Levy smiled, leaning her head against Gajeel’s chest. “She’s my best friend.”

“This is a bit idiotic, even for ya.” Cana grinned drunkenly into her mug, but the look in her eyes was too sharp for her to be truly intoxicated.

The fire dragon slayer glared at her, but said nothing to defend himself.

“Yeah, pretty much everyone in the guild loves bunny girl.” Gajeel smirked down at him. “Don’t _you_?”

Natsu thrust himself forward, as if he was about to hit Gajeel, but paused. The expression of annoyance in his face melted into a frown.

Before the pink-haired boy could answer, though, there was a shout from deep within the guild, and Mirajane came running, carrying a lacrima in her hands.

“It’s Lucy!” Romeo called out to the others, drawing their attention.

“Well, now I feel horrible about not contacting you guys sooner,” said the image of Lucy Heartfilia, lips twisted into an uneasy smile. “I ran into a bit of trouble with the train and couldn’t find the time to use the lacrima.”

Natsu approached the counter, wanting to say something, anything, but found himself being drowned out by the cacophony of shouts that came from all around the guildhall.

“Looking good, Lucy!”

“Bandits! Was it bandits?”

“When are you coming back?”

The blonde laughed, seemingly relieved by everyone’s warmth.

“I’m fine, but the purchase will take a bit longer. I probably won’t be able to call for the next couple weeks, because I’ll be moving around a lot. I’ll see you soon!”

With a wave, she was gone, and the rest of the mages started to rearrange themselves, returning to their usual activities with a lighter heart.

Natsu stood there, staring at the lacrima with a strange mixture of emotions stamped on his face.

No one paid him any attention: Erza sat down to have tea with Lisanna, Levy convinced Gajeel to go to the bookstore with her, and Cana drank herself under the table.

On the outskirts of it all, Gray Fullbuster let a genuine smile take his lips. He too had been concerned, though not as loud about it as the girls. No, he was quiet in his fear; it led to less embarrassing outcomes.

 _In a way_ , he mused, _I would have felt responsible for letting her go._

The dark-haired boy leaned against the guild’s porch, watching as strangers passed by Fairy Tail, their eyes almost always darting back to stare at their sign. Gray wanted to laugh at them, but the sight brought forth an unusual sort of satisfaction; he loved Fairy Tail and its people, and he was glad others loved it too.

Nonchalantly, he put his hands in his coat’s pockets, and felt the shards of what had once been an enchanted crystal.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! Please, don't kill me!
> 
> So, I have a perfectly good reason for this delay: I'm back in college and it's draining the life right out of me.  
> Not only that, but I also had some trouble in regards to Fairy Tail. I read the manga and I didn't agree with some things, so I went into a phase where I couldn't see it without getting irrationaly mad. I'm sorry to those who like this, but I simply can't handle when authors put female characters in humiliating situations for the sake of fanservice. I simply can't.
> 
> It's all better now, though.
> 
> This is my first break in a long time, so I threw my responsibilities out the window and wrote this. I'm not entirely happy with it (mostly because I didn't have the time to edit it as much as I would like), but I'm feeling antsy and I want to post it.  
> So here it is! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Oh, the song is I'd rather be with you, by Joshua Radin.


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